Mother of 5 Charged for Cyberbullying ComPol Williams

Tonight, a mother of five is out on bail after the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, filed a report against her under the Cyber Crime Act. This led to her detention since Friday and charges for using a computer system to spread a false statement. The accused, thirty-seven-year-old Nichole Gilda McDonald, spent four nights in detention before appearing in court this morning without a lawyer. McDonald, a matron at the Youth Cadet Corp and resident of Antelope Street, Belize City, is accused of posting a false statement on March fifth, intending to harm Commissioner Williams. McDonald pleaded not guilty and explained that she was only commenting on a statement made by her party leader about Belize being a narco state. She insisted she meant no harm and was merely responding to what was happening in Cayo. The magistrate informed McDonald of the severe penalties for the offense, which include a fine of ten thousand dollars and up to five years in prison. McDonald explained that she and the Commissioner are Facebook friends and that she was responding to a message from her leader. The magistrate advised her to save her explanations for the trial. McDonald, a mother of five, shared that she is under distress as two of her children’s fathers have died. The prosecutor did not object to bail, and the magistrate granted it at one thousand dollars, with one surety of the same amount. Conditions of her bail include staying away from Commissioner Williams and his family, avoiding further legal trouble, and staying off Facebook. McDonald is due back in court on May fourteenth, 2025.